


we got here the hard way

by sevensevan



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/F, Prompt Fill, Time Travel, don't let the warning throw you off aight it's just the canon stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 01:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13447506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevensevan/pseuds/sevensevan
Summary: Making out on the Waverider's control panel: maybe not the best idea. Prompt fill.





	we got here the hard way

**Author's Note:**

> prompt fill for @thoughtsandlife23 on tumblr: Nyssara who are back together and in the waverider accidentally time travel to s2 or 3. not even a little bit rooted in lot canon since i haven't watched in a long ass time.

“Sara,” Nyssa murmurs as her girlfriend pushes her up against the control panel of the Waverider. “This is a bad idea.”

“Oh, come on,” Sara says, resting a hand on either side of Nyssa, effectively trapping her against the panel. “Everyone else is out.” She leans in, lifting one of her hands and sliding an arm around Nyssa’s waist. “I locked the loading bay,” she murmurs. Nyssa doesn’t quite smile, but she lets Sara kiss her, sliding a hand into her hair to pull Sara closer. Sara grins in between kisses. She can still barely believe she’s gotten here with Nyssa; she’d been _so hopeless_ for so long, but here they are, and Nyssa is playing with the hem of her shirt with one hand while the other slips down to the back of her neck, and Sara thinks this might be the happiest she’s ever been.

She presses closer against Nyssa, lifting her other hand from the edge of the control panel and setting it on Nyssa’s hip, gently pushing, trying to get her to sit back on the panel. Nyssa pulls back a few inches and raises an eyebrow at her.

“What?” Sara asks. Nyssa just smiles and shakes her head, pulling Sara back in by the front of her shirt. She allows Sara to push her back onto the panel and wraps her legs around Sara’s waist, and for a few moments, everything is good. Everything is _incredible_.

Then the engines of the Waverider roar, and the familiar dizzying, nauseating sensation of time travel overcomes Sara. She stumbles back a step, nearly falling over. Nyssa isn’t nearly as used to time travel as Sara is, and she falls forward off the panel onto her hands and knees. Sara feels like her head is in a vice, squeezing painfully.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Sara groans when the sensation finally stops. She looks over at Nyssa, who is half-lying, half-sitting against the base of the control panel, eyes closed. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Nyssa mutters, pushing herself up onto her knees, one hand on the edge of the control panel for balance. Sara pushes herself to her feet, offering Nyssa a hand.

“Gideon, where are we?” Sara calls as she pulls Nyssa to her feet.

“Starling City, 2013,” Gideon’s disembodied voice answers. Nyssa and Sara exchange glances.

“Ask it to send us back,” Nyssa tells her, turning back to frown at the control panel. Sara doesn’t answer immediately, and Nyssa turns to look at her curiously.

“I…” Sara hesitates. “I want to do something first. Since we’re already here.”

“Sara?” Nyssa looks concerned, stepping forward and taking Sara’s hand.

“I’m not going to change anything,” Sara reassures her. “I just…I want to go see Laurel. Not to talk to her or—or anything, I just want to see her.” Nyssa lifts their joined hands and kisses the back of Sara’s gently.

“I understand,” she murmurs. “Do you want me to come with you?” Sara nods, hesitantly at first, then more firmly.

“I’d—“ Her throat is dry, raspy. She swallows, then tries again. “I’d like that, yeah.”

“Shall we go, then?” Nyssa asks, gesturing towards the hallway that leads to the ramp off the ship. Sara nods, not speaking, allowing Nyssa to lead the way as they leave the Waverider.

It’s night outside, and they go to the DA’s office first, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Nyssa stays close to Sara, their arms brushing when they slow. Her presence is comforting; it calms a bit of the twisting grief and fear in Sara’s stomach.

The DA’s office is the right choice; they arrive just as Laurel leaves work. She’s walking home, alone in the dark streets. Sara can’t see her face clearly, but she recognizes Laurel’s stride, fast and strong even in heels that Sara couldn’t walk in if she wanted to.

Nyssa is silent as they follow Laurel back to her apartment, and Sara appreciates it immensely. Nyssa’s mostly silent demeanor bothers her sometimes, but those times are rare, and completely immaterial when compared to this; this quiet, simple companionship, a nonverbal gesture of comfort.

They sit on a rooftop opposite Laurel’s apartment building, feet dangling over the edge, the light from the streets below outlining their faces in colored lights and deep shadows. Nyssa takes Sara’s hand, and although Sara doesn’t speak, she holds Nyssa’s hand tightly. Nyssa doesn’t comment on the silent tears making their way down Sara’s cheeks; she just wraps her other arm around Sara’s shoulders and pulls her closer. They watch as Laurel’s lights turn on. They can only see her living room window, and Laurel passes by it occasionally, each time looking more and more relaxed. Her hair gets tied back, her heels disappear, her jacket and dress pants get swapped for sweatpants and a sweatshirt; a sweatshirt that Sara recognizes as one of her own from years and years ago, and she suddenly remembers that Laurel still thinks she’s dead in 2013. Sara hadn’t known that Laurel kept some of her clothes, and it makes her grit her teeth to keep from sobbing.

Eventually, though, the living room light goes out.

They sit for awhile longer as Sara’s tears slowly stop. Nyssa still says nothing, and Sara loves her all the more for it. She’s just about to lift her head from Nyssa’s shoulder and suggest they get going when a familiar voice—a _too_ familiar voice—speaks from behind them.

“Who are you, and why are you watching Laurel Lance?” it asks. It’s modulated, altered, but Sara recognizes it, and judging from the way Nyssa tenses up beside her, she recognizes it as well.

Nyssa shifts back from Sara slightly, keeping her face turned away from the woman behind them. She meets Sara’s eyes, a silent question. _What do we do_? Sara shakes her head. She doesn’t know.

“Turn around,” the voice says. “Now.” Sara nods slightly. Nyssa lets her go, shifting her legs back from hanging over the street four stories below to the solid concrete of the roof. Sara does the same, and they stand, still facing away from the woman with the voice modulator. “I said turn around,” the robotic voice repeats. Sara closes her eyes briefly. When she opens them, Nyssa is gazing at her silently in reassurance. Together, they turn around.

It’s Sara behind them, as they both already knew. This Sara, past Sara, stands in her old leather Canary costume, mask over her eyes and quarterstaff held up, ready to attack. Neither Nyssa nor the present Sara are wearing any kind of disguise, and past Sara recognizes them both instantly. Her staff doesn’t lower, but her eyes go wide behind her mask.

“Hi,” present Sara says. “Nice night out, huh?” She hears Nyssa exhale beside her, an almost-laugh.

“Who the _hell_ are you?” past Sara hisses, leveling her staff at her future self.

“Sara,” Nyssa says calmly, stepping in front of present Sara, in the path of past Sara’s staff, raising her arms. “It’s okay.”

“Nyssa?” past Sara whispers, shaking her head. “What…”

“It’s okay,” Nyssa repeats. “It’s…well, it’s rather difficult to explain.” She looks over her shoulder at present Sara. Present Sara steps forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Nyssa.

“I’m your future self,” she says simply.

“Or perhaps not that difficult,” Nyssa mutters.

“I don’t believe you,” past Sara says. She’s pointing her staff only at present Sara now, leaving Nyssa alone. “Why are you watching my sister?”

“Sara,” Nyssa says, stepping forward. She wraps a hand around Sara’s staff and pushes it down gently. Sara lets her, staring at Nyssa, open-mouthed. “She’s telling the truth.”

“She…” past Sara looks back over at present Sara. Present Sara shrugs nonchalantly. Past Sara looks back over at Nyssa. “So then you…”

“I am not the Nyssa of your time,” Nyssa confirms. Past Sara shakes her head slowly.

“What are you _doing_ here?” she asks.

“You’re gonna have to come with us,” present Sara announces instead of answering, stepping forward. Past Sara looks at her counterpart, shaking her head.

“But—“

“She’s right,” Nyssa interrupts. “You cannot remember this, Sara. It will change things. We can wipe your memories. You will forget you ever saw us.” Past Sara looks between them, eyeing her future self with suspicion and Nyssa with heartbreak and love.

“I…” She hesitates. Nyssa steps forward, reaching out and gently taking past Sara’s free hand. She says nothing, but smiles softly, and something passes between them. Past Sara nods slowly. “Okay,” she agrees. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Past Sara follows present Sara and Nyssa back across the city rooftops to the Waverider. Present Sara stays a few paces ahead of them. She can tell she’s (understandably) unsettling her past self. Past Sara seems somewhat comforted by Nyssa’s presence, though. Sara supposes some things don’t change.

Past Sara takes off her mask once they’re on board the ship. She looks around, turning in slow circles, awestruck.

“I become a _time traveler_?” she asks, her tone incredulous.

“It’s a long story,” present Sara says impatiently. “Med bay is this way.” Nyssa catches her arm as her past self wanders down the hallway.

“I’ll let you handle the memory wipe,” she tells her girlfriend in a low voice. “I…I do not wish to see you as you were. It reminds me of how I hurt you, then.” Sara leans up and kisses her.

“Of course,” she murmurs. “But you know I forgave you a long time ago.” Nyssa nods, but doesn’t look comforted, so Sara kisses her again, only pulling away when she feels eyes on her.

Past Sara is watching them, brow knitted thoughtfully. Present Sara steps back from Nyssa, walking by her past self quickly.

“This way,” she says, not quite snapping but not far from it. Past Sara follows her silently. “Lie down there,” present Sara orders, gesturing to one of the chairs. Past Sara does so. “Gideon, wipe her.”

“Wait,” past Sara says. Present Sara looks over at her. “I…” she hesitates. “Do things…do things work out? Am I happy in the future?” Present Sara sighs.

“You know you won’t remember any of this,” she says. Past Sara nods.

“I still want to know.” Present Sara shakes her head.

“Of course you do,” she mutters. She steps over to stand by past Sara’s side. “Things…a lot happens, between you right now and me. Things are bad. For a long time. You’ll be scared and heartbroken and you’ll almost die a lot. You will die for awhile.” Past Sara’s eyes go wide, but she doesn’t question that. “But…it’s worth it. A lot of things still kind of suck, but I’m happy most of the time, and…I don’t know. Life is precious, I guess, and after everything, I’m still here. So that’s something.” She grins. “And we get the girl in the end.”

“Nyssa,” past Sara says quietly. Present Sara nods.

“Yeah,” she agrees. “Nyssa. That—you and her—that doesn’t end. It’s hard for awhile, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up on her. Don’t _ever_ give up on her.” Past Sara smiles weakly.

“I can’t,” she says. “I guess I can’t ever, since you’re with her.” Present Sara exhales, not quite a laugh.

“We really can’t,” she says. “But that’s a good thing.” Past Sara nods and leans back in the chair, closing her eyes. “Gideon, wipe her,” present Sara orders.

They leave past Sara in the abandoned clock tower. She’ll wake up with a headache and a vague memory of watching Laurel before going home, and without any idea of what’s to come.

“Are you glad we ended up here?” Nyssa asks, wrapping her arms around Sara from behind as the Waverider begins to lift into the air.

“I don’t know,” Sara says quietly. She leans back into Nyssa, closing her eyes. “I wish we could’ve left the other me with _something_. It would’ve helped me a lot back then to have someone tell me things would be okay and actually _know_.”

“You were very lost,” Nyssa observes. “I did not see it so much at the time. I think I was just as lost, if not more. But she trusted me more than she trusted herself, albeit her future self.”

“I still trust you more than me,” Sara says with a smile. “You told me making out on the control panel was a bad idea.” Nyssa laughs quietly, pressing a kiss to the side of Sara’s head.

“We should strap in,” she says quietly. “I’d rather not time travel while standing again.” Sara hums in agreement, stepping out of her girlfriend’s embrace and sitting down. Nyssa takes the seat beside her.

“Hey, Nyssa?” she says as she straps in.

“Yes?”

“I love you.” Nyssa smiles, buckling her harness.

“I love you, too,” she says. She takes Sara’s hand, and the Waverider disappears into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed. i'm on tumblr @daisys-quake; fic requests are open! leave a comment and kudos if you liked it.


End file.
